Is this self-imposed monotony we’ve become so unaccustomed to at home about to return to more blissful boredom in our former boardrooms, offices or cubicles?
Oh, how this persistently perilous pandemic has slammed and dunked us, scrambled our brains, baked our spirits until we’re well done, overcooked, and overlooked.
So, are we about to suspend this monotony gluttony? Are we soon to go from alone to allied in a common cause of making our businesses breathe again?
Yet we’re also probably heavier than we were once upon a time when we were early risers, gobbling our breakfasts, chasing cabs, buses, or trains, steadfastly commuting to where we were once busy bees in office bonnets.
Yes, we’ve all had to slow down during these dreary Covid times leading us to bouts of overeating, under exercising and pure, unadulterated monotony in our daily stay at home, remote work existences.
And ahh those staycations. What fun! Staying put! Going nowhere!
What adventure, traveling from bedroom to balcony, balcony to bedroom, bedroom to living room, side trips to bathrooms and wild times in open-all-night bars and kitchens preparing meals, mixing drinks, getting tipsy, watching film noir clunkers, then staggering off to sleep, to dream monotonous dreams.
Is monotony such a bad thing? No, not if it’s keeping us alive, even if zombie like and always complaining, and uneasy, but hopefully not up all night and lasting forever!
No, you don’t want a monopoly on monotony?
You want monotony as slight, sparing and temporary as possible. You need to get away from it. Go outside. Go for a walk in the fresh air. Hike to the nearest park or preferably to a beach beside an ocean. Let the waves take your mind off monotony, stay vacations, working remotely, endless room roaming, zooming and consuming.
So, what replaces monotony?
How about Monopoly, the game? Try to land on and purchase those game-winning blue properties, Boardwalk and Park Place, so you can charge maximum rent.
Write a book or belt out a post or blog like I’m doing now.
Whatever you do, try to stay with what’s going to be the order of the day, FLEXIBILITY, that is, whenever we finally return to our offices and past lives.
FLEXIBILITY is a key word employers like me should memorize, internalize.
What flexibility means as it pertains to working has changed so dramatically, however, throughout this paralyzing, stupefying pandemic. And for risk-averse executives like yours truly who pride themselves on understanding every aspect of their firm’s operations, the unknowns can be scary, even daunting.
So, here’s what employers should consider implementing in offices to replace mesmerizing monotony at home.
- Give temporary raises to offset increased commute costs.
- Offer free parking or free lunches to lure workers back and don’t forget to let everyone vamoose early for the weekend.
- Avoid work schedules that are too rigid and fixed. Be flexible as employee’s definition of hybrid work is more liberal these days than what employers used to think it should be.
- Finally make sure there are some fun things to do at the office like maybe music, a blackjack table or two or a few slot machines to play for free with the chance of winning a wad of dough.
So, soon as possible, let’s do away with monotony, and get back to just plain old office boring . . . maybe with a few exhilarating add-ons.
Besides an inveterate blogger, Tom Madden is an author of countless published articles and five books, including his latest, WORDSHINE MAN, available now on Amazon. He also creates TV series like his latest Xtra Terresla whose main character is modeled after Tesla founder Leon Musk, soon to own Twitter. Madden is the founder and CEO of TransMedia Group, an award-winning public relations firm serving clients worldwide since 1981 and has conducted remarkably successful media campaigns and crisis management for America’s largest companies and organizations.